Naughty Nicks, page 1
Naughty Nicks
By Christine d’Abo
Kim has been the coordinator at Naughty Nicks, home of the sexiest Santa strippers, every Christmas for three years—and for just as long, she’s lusted after her boss. She enjoys their flirty banter and heated looks, but she’s getting tired of Blake being nice when she’s feeling naughty. This year, there’s only one kind of Christmas bonus she wants.
With each passing holiday season, Blake’s attraction to Kim has grown. But after a bitter divorce, he’s not sure he’s ready to jump into a new relationship, especially with an employee. One passionate kiss under the mistletoe and he realizes he’s had enough of looking and not touching. Fortunately, he knows the perfect way to seduce Kim—a private striptease to prove she’s the only elf for his Naughty Nick.
31,000 words
Dear Reader,
I’m on vacation, camping in the semi-wilderness. No, not when you’re reading this (well, maybe, who knows?) but when this letter is due to our production team. So I’ve chosen to hand off my Dear Reader letter responsibilities to the team for the month of November and let them tell you all about the fantastic lineup in store for you. We’re a team who really enjoys the books we acquire, and I know they’ll be glad for a chance to convince you to give one a try. In the meantime, I’ll be back next month. Happy reading!
Angela James, Editorial Director
Dear Reader,
Editorial assistant Stephanie here. Since Angela is “camping” (all I’m saying is that camping seems to involve a lot of tweeting), I’ve compiled a few fun facts about this month’s new releases. What kinds of great books do we have in store for you this time? Will I get in trouble for making fun of my boss’s camping skills? These are the questions I will strive to answer for you today.
Redemption by Stephanie Tyler, new adult, post-apocalyptic
Stephanie Tyler returns with book two in her post-apocalyptic new-adult motorcycle club series.
Redemption continues the story of the Defiance MC with Mathias and Jessa’s story. If you missed book one, Defiance—Cas and Tru’s story—you’re missing out on a fantastic world and some swoon-worthy romance.
—Angela James, Editorial Director, Carina Press
Snowbound with the CEO by Shannon Stacey, contemporary romance
Shannon’s books are must-reads if you love contemporary romance.
Shannon Stacey’s holiday novellas are becoming something of a delightful tradition at Carina Press, and we’re happy to have the latest in our hands!
—Stephanie Doig, Editorial Assistant, Harlequin and Carina Press
Chance of Rain by Amber Lin, contemporary romance
We’re happy to welcome Amber to the Carina Press family!
This small-town reunion romance gripped me from the first chapter and wouldn’t let go. The tortured alpha hero, who just happens to be a Navy SEAL, also didn’t hurt!
—Tara Stevens, Assistant Product Manager, Digital Products
Take Me Home by Inez Kelley, contemporary romance
Inez writes contemporary and fantasy romance for Carina Press. Her new lumberjack series had the (admittedly largely Canadian) team intrigued from the start!
Maple-syrup maker Kayla falls for a sexy lumberjack with a bitter past and a wary heart in the first of her new Country Roads series featuring loggers in the Allegheny Mountains.
—Deborah Nemeth, Freelance Editor, Carina Press
Slow Ride Home by Leah Braemel, contemporary Western romance
Leah writes wonderfully sexy, emotional romances for Carina Press, including Texas Tangle and Tangled Past.
Leah’s lovely writing drew me right along into a sensual story of love, heat and scandal. With cowboys. Look for more of the Grady family to come. Did I mention there are cowboys?
—Brendan Flattery, Digital Production Coordinator
Love a Little Sideways by Shannon Stacey, contemporary romance
Shannon’s bestselling Kowalski family miniseries is a must-read for contemporary romance fans.
What begins as the annual Kowalski Camping Trip of Doom turns into a brand-new start for an unlikely couple—charming, funny proof that what we think we want and what the heart wants isn’t always the same thing.
—Kerri Buckley, Editor, Carina Press
Sing for the Dead by PJ Schnyder, paranormal shifter romance
PJ writes futuristic science fiction romance and paranormal romance for Carina Press.
The exciting second book in the London Undead trilogy brings readers back into a world where zombies have taken over London. Now the werewolves who’ve stepped up to fight the creatures have a new ally—a member of the Fae who jumps right into the middle of the fray!
—Mallory Braus, Freelance Editor, Carina Press
Through the Black Veil by Steve Vera, urban fantasy
You may remember us gushing about Drynn, Steve’s first book in this series.
In book 2 of the Last of the Shardyn series, our fearless heroes have returned to their magical homeland to warn everyone about the danger threatening to destroy their world.
—Rhonda Helms, Freelance Editor, Carina Press
Improper Arrangements by Juliana Ross, erotic historical romance
Juliana writes sizzling historical romances set in Victorian times for Carina Press.
The follow-up to Improper Relations features a mountain-climber hero, Eli. He is my favorite type of hero: rugged, handsome, rough around the edges, mysterious. Love him!
—Carly Chow, Assistant Manager, Digital Commerce
Finessing the Contessa by Wendy Soliman, historical romance
Wendy Soliman writes wonderful, exciting historical romances. The first two Forsters books are currently available from Carina Press.
In Wendy Soliman’s Regency romance Finessing the Contessa, Lord Robert Forster is drawn to the brilliant Sicilian he meets at a chess match, but is she a spy or an innocent pawn in a game of international espionage?
—Deborah Nemeth, Freelance Editor, Carina Press
All In with the Duke by Ava March, male/male historical romance
Ava March writes can’t-miss historical male/male stories for Carina Press.
Max Arrington, the Duke of Pelham, has vowed to never again let a handsome face blind him to a man’s true intentions. But the beautiful Tristan Walsh is too intriguing for Max to resist, and it’s not long before their wicked nights together turn into something more.
—Stephanie Doig, Editorial Assistant, Harlequin and Carina Press
For Her Eyes Only by Shannon Curtis, romantic suspense
This is the third book in Shannon’s exciting McCormack Security Agency series.
For Her Eyes Only features an admin assistant pairing up with the MSA’s undercover expert to investigate a murder. I loved the sexual tension between the hero and heroine!
—Stephanie Doig, Editorial Assistant, Harlequin and Carina Press
Getting Rich by Monique Domovitch, cozy mystery
Monique’s first novel with Carina Press, Getting Skinny, had us all eager for the follow-up.
Just when she thinks she’s on the verge of getting rich, Nicky Landry finds out somebody is out to get her—and whoever it is has murder on the menu—in Monique Domovitch’s second Chef Landry Mystery.
—Deborah Nemeth, Freelance Editor, Carina Press
No Place Like Rome by Julie Moffett, action-adventure, mystery
In addition to writing the Lexi Carmichael mysteries, Julie also writes Scottish historical romances!
Our favorite geek girl is off to Rome with the sexy and mysterious Slash to solve a case involving the Vatican, a dead body, some steamy kisses from her partner, and a top-secret encrypted file that even she can’t hack.
—Alissa Davis, Freelance Editor, Carina Press
Season of Seduction, erotic holiday anthology
Five Golden Rings by Jeffe Kennedy, erotic romance
Jeffe writes steamy erotic BDSM romance for Carina Press, as well as (also steamy!) fantasy romance.
Jeffe Kennedy heats up the season with this sultry, adventurous Facets of Passion novella set against the balmy days—and scorching nights—of a high-powered woman’s holiday-vacation-turned-sexual epiphany.
—Kerri Buckley, Editor, Carina Press
Naughty Nicks by Christine d’Abo, erotic romance
Christine’s Long Shots series, about a BDSM club and its patrons, includes a choose-your-path erotic romance!
This sexy and emotional novella features an interesting holiday business—stripper Santas! There was so much great tension between the heroine and her hero, who also happens to be her boss.
—Stephanie Doig, Editorial Assistant, Harlequin and Carina Press
Ménage on 34th Street by Elise Logan and Emily Ryan-Davis, erotic ménage romance
We are proud to welcome Elise and Emily to the Carina Press family! This is their first book with us.
Katrina and Liam have a happy marriage, but they’ve always felt there’s room for more. When their friend Hunter returns from active duty, they know exactly what that “more” is. Now if only they can convince Hunter...
—Stephanie Doig, Editorial Assistant, Harlequin and Carina Press
Matzoh and Mistletoe by Jodie Griffin, erotic BDSM romance
Jodie writes about true-to-life characters exploring their sexy sides in her Bondage & Breakfast series.
This BDSM novella has a lot of things going for it—it’s sexy, emotional, and there’s a really hot cop. Jodie is known for writing wond erfully realistic characters, and she doesn’t disappoint here.
—Stephanie Doig, Editorial Assistant, Harlequin and Carina Press
Gifts of Honor, military holiday collection
Starting from Scratch by Stacy Gail, contemporary military romance
Stacy writes both paranormal and contemporary romance for Carina Press.
Stacy Gail gifts us with the sweetest of holiday reunions for a wounded Army Ranger and his one true love. Patience and forgiveness meet sharp wit and sizzling attraction!
—Kerri Buckley, Editor, Carina Press
Hero’s Homecoming by Rebecca Crowley, contemporary military romance
Rebecca’s debut book with Carina Press, a fantastic sports romance called The Striker’s Chance¸ came out in September.
Three days before Christmas, a surprising phone call from an old love changes absolutely everything in this compelling novella.
—Kerri Buckley, Editor, Carina Press
Dedication
To Mark.
I’m so proud of you for all you’ve accomplished
this year. I love you. Keep being awesome.
Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Epilogue
About the Author
Copyright
Prologue
Blake sat at the bar, a warm beer in his hands, listening to “White Christmas” blaring from the speakers overhead. He’d been in this exact spot every night since Megs had walked out of their house a week ago. The thought of being home alone, surrounded by Christmas decorations, held absolutely no appeal to him. If he was the dramatic type, he’d have thought Megs had put everything up before telling him she’d been cheating and was going to leave him, just to ruin Christmas forever.
Actually, he had no doubt that was exactly what she’d intended.
The bitch.
The bartender kept checking on him, refilling his mug of draft when necessary and trying to engage him in conversation. Blake barely managed a few grunts in response. He didn’t have a civil bone in him these days and no doubt was giving off enough angsty vibes to scare off most sane people. What the hell was he going to do? Megs had dumped his ass for a man five years younger. While he wasn’t old by any stretch of the imagination, the thought of starting over again was far from pleasant. Christ, he’d been with her since first year of university. He’d never really done the whole dating scene, didn’t need to because he’d been blessed to have found the love of his life before going out on the prowl.
“The bitch.” He abandoned his beer and pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes, trying to keep the tears at bay.
Get a fucking grip, man.
Peals of laughter exploded from a group of women that had fallen into the booth directly behind him an hour earlier. That should be him right now, out with friends enjoying the holidays and getting ready to spend a week doing wonderfully nasty things to his wife. Instead, his life consisted of running his property management company and coming here.
He’d even pushed aside putting the finishing touches on Naughty Nicks. It was going to be Megs’ present this year—a company she could run herself, something fun. When she’d mentioned the idea of running a stripper Santa company, he’d initially blown it off. But the more she chatted, teased about the premise, the more merit he thought it had. The final incorporation documents were sitting on his desk now, useless. One more good thing she’d ruined.
“Hi there, can I get another three Santa Shots, please?”
A young woman in her early twenties was now pressed against the bar, the outside of her thigh touching his knee. Blake should have pulled away, but it was nice to feel the contact, even if it was incidental. She wouldn’t have come up higher than his chin if he was standing, even with the Santa hat she currently wore. A mess of soft brown curls had escaped from beneath the felt hat, pinning them down close to her shoulders. Her black yoga pants accentuated her firm legs and he chanced a glance at her ass. Nice.
A clearing of a throat had him looking up into an amused pair of brown eyes. Oh shit.
“Sorry.” He did break the contact then and took hold of his mug once more.
“I don’t mind.” Her voice was cheerful, light. She leaned across the bar a bit further and started humming along with Bing Crosby. “I’ve seen you in here a lot this week.”
Frowning, Blake looked back at her. “Umm, yeah. It’s been a bad week.”
“I’ve had party after party. Between friends and clients I feel like I’m living here.” She smiled, making her eyes sparkle. “I haven’t seen you in here with anyone.”
“No.” Was she flirting with him? It felt a bit like flirting. Maybe she was some sort of counselor and wanted to make sure he wasn’t about to become an unpleasant holiday statistic. “My wife left me. I didn’t want to be alone so I figured this was as good a place as any.”
“Oh my God.” She snapped her mouth shut when the bartender came back with her shots. She took two of the three in her hands. “Just a sec.”
He couldn’t stop himself from watching her bounce over to the booth with her friends. Yep, really nice ass. She spoke with her entire body, her hands waving around her head before she leaned in and gave two of the girls hugs and grabbed her purse and coat. When she turned and caught him staring again, instead of giving him the look Megs and some of her friends might have, she simply cocked an eyebrow and smiled.
“I must look pretty pathetic for you to leave your friends,” he said as she pulled a stool beside him.
She stepped onto the rung of the stool and propelled herself up. “No one should be alone at Christmas.” She froze and looked at him with wide eyes. “You celebrate Christmas right? I didn’t just offend you or something?”
The chuckle slipped past his lips before Blake even realized it was there. “I do and you didn’t.” He held out his hand. “I’m Blake, by the way.”
“Kim.” Her fingers were small as he gave her a gentle squeeze. “And you’re doing me a favor. Miranda over there just got engaged and hasn’t stopped talking about wedding plans all day. If I had to listen to another debate about the merits of a destination wedding versus having it local, I was going to lose my mind.”
“So instead you want to hang out with the old, depressed, recently single guy?”
“You’re not old.” She leaned back and gave him a once over. “You’re what? Twenty-seven? Twenty-eight?”
“Thirty-three.”
“Pff.” She waved her hand. “That’s nothing. You’re only ten years older than me.”
“Ten years can be a lot.”
“Not if you’re with the right person. Age doesn’t have anything to do with it. I mean, Miranda over there is three years older than her fiancé and they’ll probably be married forever. If you click with someone, you click.”
Two weeks ago, Blake would have believed her. “I wish them all the best.”
Bing Crosby was quickly replaced by Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” sending a shudder through Blake. “I hate this song.”
“Why, I think it’s fun.” Kim picked up her shot and downed it quickly.
“Not when you work a retail job and have to listen to it four times an hour over an eight-hour shift. I did that three years in a row back in university. It’s haunted me ever since.”
“Doh.” She giggled, before looking over at her friends. “Do you want to get out of here?”
He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He swallowed down the last of his beer and spun on his stool to fully face her. “Pardon?”
Kim’s grin lit up her face. “Do you want to get out of here? My place isn’t too far away and I have eggnog. Might even have some rum we can add to it. Then you know...” She shrugged.
“Are you inviting me back to have sex? Because I need to be honest, I’m not reading women very well right now.” If he was ever able to read them at all.
Kim slid from the stool, put on her coat and held out her hand. “Yes to sex. I’m horny, you’re cute and you look like you need some cheering up.”
